How to stop fearful thoughts before they control you

The wind whipped through the house last night. Doors slammed shut and papers flew.

It is the end of September in San Diego and the wind was cold. We propped our bedroom door open so we could enjoy the breeze and sleep in the fresh air. We have done that every night for a few months now. We are so fortunate to have beautiful sleeping weather most nights. So grateful to wear flip flops in the day, and snuggle under a warm blanket at night. Last night was colder than normal, and we snuggled deeper.

Last night I slept the entire night except when I woke up with a fearful thought, "we don't have heat in our house!" It was one of those irrational middle-of-the-night fears and it wouldn't leave.

How to Make a Good Decision

Recently I was immersed in both decision making and a frustrating lack of being able to decide. When actions were out of my control, I had to be annoyingly patient. When they were in my control, the decisions were life-altering.

Early last summer, my husband received notification that his large company was closing its operations in New Jersey.

The following month we went on FIVE vacations.

When a BIG decision is beyond your control, focus on the little decisions for a short time

Lucky for us, the decision to go on those vacations had already been made. We just followed our plane reservations, hotel bookings and camping plans. As we absorbed the idea that we may have to move again (we'd only been in New Jersey for three years, so moving was still fresh), we also relaxed in St. Baarth's, and rode roller coasters in Hershey, PA. We saw the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, and stayed with friends down the Jersey Shore. Finally, we drove for the last time up to the Muskoka Lakes in Ontario to visit cousins and siblings.